Frame Rates for Filmmakers: A Beginner's Guide to FPS
Frame rates for filmmakers control how your footage looks and feels, whether that's the smooth realism of 25fps to the dreamy look of slow motion at 120fps.
I learned this the hard way. When I first started shooting documentaries, I filmed everything in slow motion because it looked cool. The result? My audience felt disconnected from the characters. They weren't experiencing the story in real time, and it made the whole film feel unrelatable.
That mistake taught me something I now share with every filmmaker I work with: each frame rate has a specific job. Picking the right one can make the difference between a scene that pulls your audience in and one that pushes them away.
In this post, I'll break down the four main frame rate categories, when to use each one, and how mixing frame rates can strengthen your visual storytelling.
Table of Contents
- What is Frame Rate?
- What is a Good Frame Rate?
- Frame Rates for Filmmakers: Why They Matter
- How to Choose the Right Frame Rate for Your Videos
- Can You Mix Frame Rates in One Video?
- Why 24 FPS is the Cinematic Standard
- FAQ
What is Frame Rate?
Frame rate is the number of individual frames or images displayed per second in a video or film. It's measured in frames per second (fps).
Whether it's the standard real-time rate of 24 or 25 fps, the dreamy slow motion at 50 or 60 fps, or the hyper-detailed super slow motion exceeding 100 fps, each frame rate serves a unique purpose. It's the difference between making your audience feel like they're living the story or merely observing it.
What is a Good Frame Rate for Filmmaking?
Whether you decide to film in real time, slow motion or fast forward, frame rates have a big impact on the overall look and feel of a film.
But, a mistake I see a lot of beginner filmmakers making, is shooting everything in slow motion because they think it looks cool. And this is something I did myself when I first discovered the slow-motion settings on my camera.
Slow motion is great for enhancing a moment, but filming your entire documentary in slow-mo just makes the audience feel disconnected from your characters because they're not experiencing any of the film in real time which makes it unrelatable. Often the best films use a variety of frame rates, depending on what is happening in the scene.
Frame Rates for Filmmakers: Why They Matter
Understanding frame rates (measured in frames per second or fps) directly impacts the look and feel of your work. Frame rate determines how many images are captured or displayed each second, affecting motion smoothness, realism, and overall style.
The standard 24fps creates a cinematic feel with subtle motion blur. Higher frame rates (48fps, 60fps) produce a hyper-realistic look with less blur, ideal for action or detailed scenes. Lower frame rates introduce a stylised, choppy effect.
Filmmakers also use frame rates to manipulate time perception through slow motion or fast-forward techniques. Choosing the right frame rate depends on your story's tone, genre expectations, and how you want your audience to experience the footage. When used with intention, frame rate becomes a storytelling tool that shapes mood, pacing, and emotional impact.
How to Choose the Right Frame Rate for Your Videos
To help you choose what frame rate to use when filming a scene, I've put together four main categories:
1. Real-time (24fps or 25fps)
This is when you film at 24 or 25 frames per second, depending on what country you're in. In Europe, the standard is 25 fps. In America, it's 24 fps.
Filming at this frame rate helps the audience feel like they're living with the main character of your film, and it's the frame rate I use the most when shooting a documentary. For example, in this scene which I shot at 25 fps, the audience just feels like they're there with the subject, seeing her day-to-day life.
Also, anytime a person is speaking or being interviewed, I film at 24 or 25 frames per second.
You can also film real time at 30 fps if you want your footage to look crisp and smooth, but this often looks less cinematic because it removes a lot of the motion blur you get at 24 or 25 fps. News channels, sporting events and YouTubers often film at 30 fps. If you're making a documentary or narrative film, stick with 24 or 25 fps for that filmic quality your audience expects.
2. Slow Motion (50fps or 60fps)
This can be shot at 50 or 60 frames per second.
Shooting in slow-mo gives more emotional significance to a moment, as the audience has more time to take it in. For example, in this commercial that I made for Tourism New Zealand, I used slow motion when the main characters are looking out at the incredible landscapes to really emphasise the feeling of joy and awe that the main subject is experiencing.
3. Super Slow Motion (100fps, 120fps, or Above)
This can be 100 or 120 frames per second or above. You want to shoot in super slow-mo when filming fast movements like a person jumping, an explosion or moving water.
Fast kinetic movement happens so quickly that the audience doesn't have time to take in all the detail, so shooting super slow-mo gives the viewer time to process what's happening.
For example, when I was filming Storror doing Parkour in Turkey for a Canon commercial, I shot a lot of the high-stake moments in super slow-mo to emphasise the danger of the stunt.
4. Timelapse (1fps or Slower)
This can be anything from shooting 1 frame per second to even 1 frame per day, depending on what you're capturing. Shooting at this frame rate compresses time, and it can be useful to show time passing or to show progress.
Timelapses are used a lot in wildlife documentaries to show nature in motion and reveal a perspective that can't be seen in real life. If you're looking for more ways to add visual variety to your films, check out our guide to visual storytelling techniques for documentary filmmakers.
Can You Mix Frame Rates in One Video?
Yes, and the best documentary filmmakers do it all the time. Mixing frame rates within a single video lets you create contrasts and emphasise different narrative elements.
High frame rates bring clarity and smoothness to action sequences, while lower frame rates can add a stylistic or dreamlike quality to flashbacks or contemplative scenes.
This approach requires careful planning. You need to understand frame rate conversion and compatibility with your editing software and final export settings. When done well, mixing frame rates adds a dynamic, emotionally rich layer to your storytelling.
I use this technique in almost every documentary I make. The key is matching the frame rate to the emotional beat of each scene. A quiet interview stays at 24fps. A breathtaking landscape reveal goes to 60fps slow motion. A fast-paced action moment gets the 120fps treatment. Your camera settings work together with frame rate to create the look you want.
Why 24 FPS is the Cinematic Standard
The classic 24 frames per second (fps) standard in movies isn't an accident. It's a choice with deep roots in film history.
Back in the early days, 24 fps struck the perfect balance between smooth-looking motion and keeping film costs down. That slight motion blur you see in fast scenes? We've come to love that as part of the cinematic feel. It makes things look real and immersive.
There's something classic and timeless about the way 24 fps looks that higher frame rates can't always match. Peter Jackson's 48fps version of The Hobbit divided audiences for this exact reason. Many viewers said it looked too real, like a soap opera rather than a movie. That's because our brains associate the subtle motion blur of 24fps with the cinema experience. To get the most out of your frame rate choices, pairing them with strong composition techniques makes every shot hit harder.
Frequently Asked Questions About Frame Rates
What FPS do most filmmakers use?
Most filmmakers shoot at 24fps for narrative and documentary work. This has been the cinema standard since the late 1920s. In PAL regions (Europe, Australia), 25fps is the broadcast standard. For online video and YouTube, 30fps is also common.
Is 24 or 25 FPS better for cinematic video?
Both produce a cinematic look. If your final output is for theatrical release or US broadcast, 24fps is the standard. If you're shooting for PAL broadcast (UK, Europe, Australia), 25fps is the way to go. The visual difference between 24 and 25 fps is almost impossible to notice.
Can I shoot slow motion with any camera?
Most modern cameras can shoot at 60fps, which gives you 2.5x slow motion when played back at 24fps. For super slow motion (120fps or higher), you need a camera that supports higher frame rates. Many DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and even smartphones now offer 120fps or 240fps recording. If you're just starting out, even a smartphone can capture great slow motion footage.
Why do higher frame rates look less cinematic?
Higher frame rates reduce motion blur, which makes movement look sharper and more lifelike. Our brains associate this crisp, smooth look with live television, news broadcasts, and soap operas, not cinema. That's why 48fps footage can feel "too real" even though it's technically showing more detail.
Does frame rate affect file size?
Yes. Higher frame rates capture more frames each second, which means larger file sizes. Shooting at 60fps roughly doubles your storage needs compared to 30fps. At 120fps, the file sizes grow even more. Plan your storage accordingly, especially on longer documentary shoots.
Free Documentary Filmmaking Training
If you want more filmmaking tips like in this post, I've put together a free documentary training video where I share how I make cinematic documentaries. Click here to sign up and get instant access.
